Welcome to Wikipedia

,

the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

From today's featured article

SMS Rheinland in 1910

The Nassau class was a group of four dreadnought battleships built for the Imperial German Navy in the mid-1900s. The class comprised Nassau, Rheinland (pictured), Posen, and Westfalen. All four were laid down in mid-1907, and completed by late 1910. The battleships adopted a main battery of twelve 28 cm (11 in) guns in six twin-gun turrets. The ships served as II Division, I Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet for the duration of their careers. From 1910 to 1914, they participated in squadron exercises, training cruises, and fleet maneuvers. During World War I, the ships took part in operations intended to isolate and destroy parts of the numerically superior British Grand Fleet. These culminated in the Battle of Jutland in 1916, where the ships helped to sink HMS Black Prince, an armored cruiser. They also saw service in the Baltic Sea against the Russian Empire. After the war, all four ships were ceded to the Allied powers and broken up. (This article is part of a featured topic: Battleships of Germany.)

Recently featured:

Did you know ...

Diana and Endymion

... that Madonna could be the owner of a French painting believed to have been destroyed in World War I (pictured)?
... that the Phoenixonian Institute was the first African-American high school in California?
... that Oscar Ortiz continued his 2019 presidential campaign even after his own running mate asked him to withdraw?
... that of up to 300 bullets fired in the Ash Street shootout between U.S. Army Rangers and alleged drug dealers, none were reported to have hit anyone?
... that before Paul Goodman became known for his views on education, he wrote an autobiographical novel about a teacher's sexual relationship with his student?
... that Piotr Sierzputowski and Tomasz Wiktorowski each coached Iga Świątek to win a French Open title?
... that the Ðàn Tre uses an olive oil can to make music?

In the news

Brahim Ghali

Chris Hipkins succeeds Jacinda Ardern as prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party after her resignation.
Brahim Ghali (pictured) is re-elected as secretary general of the Polisario Front and president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
A helicopter crashes near Kyiv, killing fourteen people, including Ukrainian interior minister Denys Monastyrsky.
In the Antiguan general election, the Labour Party retains its majority in the House of Representatives.
A plane crash in Pokhara, Nepal, kills all 72 people on board.

On this day

January 28

Lego bricks

1142 – Despite having saved the southern Song dynasty from attempts by the northern Jin dynasty to conquer it, Chinese general Yue Fei was executed by the Song government.
1547 – Nine-year-old Edward VI, the first English monarch to be raised as a Protestant, became king.
1813 – English author Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice was published, using material from an unpublished manuscript originally written between 1796 and 1797.
1958 – The Lego Group, a Danish toy company, filed a patent in Denmark for the design of Lego bricks (pictured).
1984 – Tropical Storm Domoina made landfall in southern Mozambique, causing some of the most severe flooding recorded in the region.

Paul Luther (b. 1533)
Colette (b. 1873)
Paul Henderson (b. 1943)

More anniversaries:

Today's featured picture

1942
1 centavo
5 centavos
10 centavos
50 centavos
1 peso
5 pesos
10 pesos

1943
1 peso
5 pesos
10 pesos

1944–45
100 pesos (1944)
500 pesos (1944)
1,000 pesos (1945)

The Japanese government-issued Philippine peso was a fiat currency issued in the Philippines during World War II, by the occupying Japanese government. One of several examples of Japanese invasion money, the currency was issued in several denominations and was known by some some Filipinos by the derogatory term "Mickey Mouse money". The effect of wartime hyperinflation towards the end of the war can be seen in the rapid increase of denomination value put into circulation.

Credit: Empire of Japan/National Numismatic Collection; prepared by Godot13

Recently featured:

Other areas of Wikipedia

Community portal – The central hub for editors, with resources, links, tasks, and announcements.
Village pump – Forum for discussions about Wikipedia itself, including policies and technical issues.
Site news – Sources of news about Wikipedia and the broader Wikimedia movement.
Teahouse – Ask basic questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
Help desk – Ask questions about using or editing Wikipedia.
Reference desk – Ask research questions about encyclopedic topics.
Content portals – A unique way to navigate the encyclopedia.

Wikipedia's sister projects

Wikipedia is written by volunteer editors and hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other volunteer projects: